The below two sections were written by Ron, but preserved here.

Introduction

It’s been about 8 years since I’ve played a tabletop RPG, and well over a decade since I’ve run a game. Considering this, I’m clearly going to need some prep time before we can begin adventuring.

We’ll be playing Dungeons & Dragons third edition (D&D 3E), and using the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The reason we’re using 3E instead of 4E is simple: 3E is considerably more affordable. There’s also the fact that, with 4E now on the market, we can safely assume that 3E is complete. Everything that is/was/will be available for 3E has already hit the market. This will drastically reduce the “Ooh! New book!” syndrome that gamers are all too familiar with.

I’ve begun reviewing the 3E game mechanics. I’m partway through the Player’s Handbook (PHB) now, and I’ll be moving on to the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) next. The Forgotten Realms source-book will have to wait a bit – I just ordered it today (my favorite used bookstore didn’t have any copies available).

This is going to be fun.

The World Arrives

My Forgotten Realms campaign setting arrived today. The timing is good, as I’m going through the DMG pretty quickly. I’m really looking forward to reading through this book and seeing how much the Realms changed between 2E and 3E.

In other DM prep news, I have created a spreadsheet to allow me to keep track of the PC’s, both in game and out. It consists of 6 tabs. 5 of these tabs are character sheets, one for each player. The sixth tab is four mini (3×5) character sheets (I’ve already printed out a few of these and glues them to index cards).

I’m planning to get all of the players together some time after the new year for a “character creation party.” I figure this will allow the more experienced players to assist the rookies in creating their characters, as well as allowing the players to discuss the party’s composition. I already know that one player is looking to play a Sorcerer, and another is leaning toward a Rogue. No news on character races, though.